To gesso paper, start with a reasonably heavy sheet, apply a thin coat of acrylic gesso with a wide brush or roller, let it dry completely, and add another coat only if you need more coverage or texture. If you want a smoother drawing surface, lightly sand the dry gesso before working on it.
I use gesso on paper for more than simply “priming” it. It can completely change how a sheet feels under a pencil or pen, create a rougher or smoother surface, cover an old drawing I no longer like, or give me a less predictable base for mixed-media work.
The main thing to remember is that gesso adds moisture to paper while you apply it. Thin paper can buckle badly, and heavy applications can make even good paper curl. I usually get better results with heavier drawing, watercolor, or mixed-media paper and several thin coats rather than one thick layer.
If you are experimenting with surfaces in general, my drawing supplies guide covers other papers and materials you can work into your drawing practice.
What Does Gesso Do to Paper?
Gesso changes the surface of the paper rather than simply covering it with white.
Modern acrylic gesso creates a matte ground with some tooth. That tooth gives paint, charcoal, pencil, and other materials something to grip. You can leave that texture visible or sand it down for a smoother result.
It also changes the absorbency of the original sheet. Paint and drawing materials no longer interact directly with the untouched paper fibers, which can make familiar materials behave differently.
This is one reason I like gesso for experimentation. Instead of always buying a special paper for every effect, I can alter paper I already have and see what happens.
If you want to experiment further with the marks you make after preparing the surface, browse my broader collection of drawing techniques.
What You Need
- Acrylic gesso
- Heavy drawing, mixed-media, or watercolor paper
- A wide flat brush, foam roller, or palette knife
- A flat work surface or drawing board
- Fine sandpaper if you want a smoother finish
- A clean dry brush or cloth for removing sanding dust
You do not need to dilute gesso automatically. I normally start with it at its existing consistency and adjust only if there is a reason to. Manufacturer instructions vary. Liquitex, for example, says its acrylic gesso can be used undiluted or thinned with up to 25% water.
You can read the current instructions on the Liquitex Professional Gesso page if that is the product you are using. Follow the directions for your particular brand rather than assuming every gesso behaves identically.
How to Gesso Paper Step by Step
1. Start With Paper That Can Handle Moisture
You technically can apply gesso to many papers, but thicker paper is much easier to work with.
I would generally choose a substantial drawing sheet, mixed-media paper, or watercolor paper rather than thin printer or notebook paper. The heavier sheet will usually tolerate the moisture and added surface weight better.
If you are comparing heavier papers, my guides to types of watercolor paper and watercolor paper for beginners explain how paper weight and surface differ.
2. Secure the Paper on a Flat Surface
Put the sheet on a clean drawing board or other flat surface before you begin.
If the paper has a strong tendency to curl, you can secure the edges while you work. Do not stretch the tape so tightly that the paper cannot move at all as it becomes damp.
The principle is similar to controlling wet watercolor paper. If buckling is already a recurring problem in your work, see my guide to stopping watercolor paper from buckling.
3. Apply a Thin First Coat
Use a wide flat brush or small roller and spread a thin coat across the page.
I would rather make two thin coats than put down one heavy, wet layer. A thick application increases texture and puts more moisture into the paper at once.
Brush in one general direction if you want a relatively orderly surface. If you deliberately want texture, let the brushstrokes remain visible or use a palette knife instead.
4. Let the Gesso Dry Completely
Do not rush into sanding or drawing while the gesso is still soft.
Drying time depends on the product, thickness, temperature, and humidity. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the gesso you are using. Liquitex recommends allowing its gessoed surface to dry for at least 24 hours before painting.
For sketchbook experiments I still prefer to prepare the page well before I intend to use it. That removes the temptation to work into a surface that only feels dry on top.
5. Add Another Coat if You Need It
One coat may be enough if you simply want to change the character of the paper.
A second coat is useful when you want more complete coverage, are covering an old drawing, or want enough material to sand the surface more aggressively.
You can also change the direction of your brushstrokes between coats. For example, brush the first coat horizontally and the second vertically to produce a more even ground.
Should You Sand Gesso on Paper?
You do not have to sand gesso. I sand it when I want the finished surface to be smoother than the gesso naturally dries.
Once the surface is completely dry, use fine sandpaper with very little pressure. You are trying to knock down the highest ridges rather than grind through the entire ground.
After sanding, remove all loose dust before drawing or applying another coat.
If the surface is still too rough, apply another thin coat, let that dry completely, and sand again.
I particularly like this approach when I intend to draw with controlled lines afterward. A smoother ground behaves very differently under graphite or colored pencil than an intentionally rough one. If colored pencil is your medium, see my guide to the best paper for colored pencils for comparison with untreated drawing surfaces.
How Do You Keep Gessoed Paper From Buckling?
Paper buckles because the water in the gesso temporarily changes the moisture content of the sheet and causes the fibers to expand unevenly.
The easiest way to reduce the problem is to begin with heavier paper and avoid soaking it with one thick layer.
- Use heavier paper.
- Apply thin coats.
- Work on a flat board.
- Let each coat dry before adding another.
- Avoid adding unnecessary water to the gesso.
- Flatten the finished sheet only after it is completely dry.
A slight curve after drying is usually easier to deal with than a sheet that has been saturated. For related methods, my guide to flattening watercolor paintings explains ways of dealing with paper that has already warped.
Drawing on Gessoed Paper
This is actually one of my favorite reasons to use gesso.
A gessoed sheet no longer feels like ordinary drawing paper. Pencil, charcoal, colored pencil, and pen can respond differently depending on how much tooth you leave in the surface.
A rough coat can catch dry material and produce broken, textured marks. Sanding it smoother gives you more control and makes it easier to build finer lines.
I would make a small test area before committing to a finished drawing because different pens and pencils react differently to acrylic grounds.
If you enjoy dramatically changing the color and character of the surface, you may also like experimenting with drawing on black paper.
Can You Use Watercolor Over Gesso?
You can, but watercolor behaves differently on gesso than it does on ordinary watercolor paper.
Traditional watercolor depends heavily on the absorbency and texture of watercolor paper. Acrylic gesso changes that surface, so washes may sit differently, lift more easily, or produce effects you would not get on untreated paper.
I would think of watercolor over gesso as an experimental mixed-media technique rather than a replacement for properly sized watercolor paper.
I cover that combination specifically in using gesso on watercolor paper. For conventional watercolor surfaces, start with my main watercolor guide or painting on watercolor paper.
If experimentation is what interests you, these watercolor techniques give you other ways to alter the surface and appearance of a painting without relying entirely on traditional washes.
Using Gesso to Recycle Old Drawings
One of the reasons I started using gesso on paper was much less technical: I had drawings on good paper that I simply did not like.
Rather than throw the sheet away, I can cover all or part of the drawing with gesso and work back into it.
I do not always try to completely erase what was there before. In fact, I often prefer when fragments of the old drawing remain visible through the new surface. Lines, stains, erased areas, brush marks, and new drawing can begin to overlap and make the paper much more interesting than a pristine sheet.
You can apply one thin layer and allow the drawing underneath to ghost through, or add several coats for a more opaque reset. Sand selectively if you want some areas smooth while leaving others visibly rough.
This is also a good way to remove some of the pressure to make every expensive sheet of drawing paper successful. Not every drawing has to remain in its original state.
If you need something new to put on the recycled surface, browse these drawing ideas.
White, Black, Clear, and Tinted Gesso
White is the version most people think of, but it is not your only option.
Black gesso creates a dark ground that can work well with white, metallic, pastel, or lighter colored media.
Clear gesso lets more of the original paper or underlying drawing remain visible while still adding tooth.
Gray gesso gives you a middle-value surface, which can be useful if you want to develop lights and darks in both directions.
You can also tint many acrylic gessos with compatible acrylic color. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before mixing products together.
I like colored grounds because they immediately remove the feeling of confronting a completely blank white page. The drawing begins with a value and a surface character already established.
Can You Gesso Sketchbook Pages?
Yes, but the sketchbook needs paper and binding strong enough to tolerate the extra moisture and thickness.
I would not coat an entire lightweight sketchbook without testing one page first. Gesso can make pages stiffer, cause curling, and increase the thickness of the finished book.
For a mixed-media sketchbook, I prefer to gesso selected pages rather than automatically preparing every sheet. That keeps some of the original paper available and lets the altered pages become interruptions within the book.
If watercolor is a major part of the sketchbook, compare the paper with a dedicated watercolor sketchbook before deciding that gesso is necessary.
Do You Always Need to Gesso Paper?
No. I would only gesso paper when I actually want to change the surface.
Good drawing and watercolor papers are already made to work with particular materials. Adding gesso can remove some of the qualities you paid for in the first place.
If I want the natural tooth of drawing paper, I leave it alone. If I want the normal absorbency of watercolor paper, I usually paint directly on it. Gesso becomes useful when I specifically want a different amount of tooth, an opaque or colored ground, a recycled drawing surface, or a mixed-media effect.
That distinction is especially important with watercolor. If your goal is simply better watercolor performance, choosing the right paper is usually more useful than covering an unsuitable sheet with gesso.
My Simple Approach
For most drawing and mixed-media experiments, I keep the process simple: heavy paper, a thin coat of acrylic gesso, complete drying, then sanding only if the surface is rougher than I want.
I add another layer when I need more opacity or want to build texture, not because every sheet automatically needs two or three coats.
The part I find most interesting is what happens afterward. Gesso lets me turn a failed drawing into another drawing, interrupt a clean sheet with texture, or create a surface that behaves differently from the paper underneath it.
Once you understand how to gesso paper, there is no single correct finish you have to aim for. A perfectly smooth ground can be useful, but so can brush marks, old lines showing through, uneven color, and areas that have been sanded back. The surface can become part of the drawing instead of simply something underneath it.